Folksy southern Alberta town a haven for Star Trek fans

From left, Dayna Dickens, Tourism co-ordinator for the Town of Vulcan and Vulcan County, and Erin Melcher, Information Services co-ordinator for Vulcan Tourism, pose outside the Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station and next to a memorial for Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.

Photograph by: Laura Severs
, for Canwest News Service

Scotty, beam me to Alberta!

It would seem an unlikely scenario, but strange things have been known to happen in the Star Trek universe. Or perhaps that's what the transporter room personnel thought they heard when I landed in Vulcan on the planet Earth, not the Vulcan homeworld that's slightly more than 16 light-years away.

But then my transporter--a typical late 20th-century automobile --would never have made it to the Vulcan of Star Trek lore--at least not in this lifetime.

Thus in the new mindset of "Live long and travel," or was that "Yes Virginia, there really is a Vulcan and it's located in Alberta," it was easy to settle for the next best thing. After all, how many Star Trek fans can actually say they've set foot in or on Vulcan?

Now, of course, this Vulcan is slightly different than the one Mr. Spock has come to know and love, but considering this is actually a small Alberta town--population 1,942, to be exact -- it does have its charms.

For Star Trek fans there's everything from Vulcan ears to virtual reality and that's only the letter V. For those not into five-year missions, phasers and alien life forms, there's the folksy, friendly charm in a place --to quote another television show's catchphrase--where everybody knows your name.

But it's Trekkie Tourism that is front and centre here, starting with the Starship FX6-1995-A, Vulcan's own answer to the Starship Enterprise. The impressive, massive FX6 sculpture overlooks Highway 23, adjacent to the Centre Street town entrance, and is an excellent spot to start a self-guided Star Trek walking tour that includes murals, a space-themed waterpark, a cemetery (where you'll find a gravestone carved in the shape of the Starfleet insignia:Beneath is a Trekker who has gone on to explore the final frontier)and the post office, where you can get a unique postmark featuring the Vulcan Tourism&Trek Station.

You'll also quickly find that the tourism station will become the equivalent of Starfleet Command's headquarters for your trip. It's where you can buy your own Vulcan ears and take part in the Vulcan Space Adventure Virtual Reality game, set in a parody universe inspired by the original Star Trek television series.

Players are cadets at "Starflight Academy" and are tutored by a character that bears a certain resemblance to the original Enterprise captain. You'll pass through a set of "swooshing" doors -- savour the moment, it's really cool to see TV special effects come to life--and start the game in training mode. Then there's the sci-filike gesture controls -- think Tom Cruise in the movie Minority Report-- that puts visitors squarely into the black boots of Starflight officers who fight off alien invaders by moving their hand through thin air to point and shoot their weapons.

If you manage to live long and prosper-- apparently we didn't get our shields up quickly enough and the Argon invaders defeated us--the station's Galaxy Gift Shop is where you'll find most things Trek, along with a small wing that includes a collection of Star Trek memorabilia, donated to the Town of Vulcan by the family of Albert Cave, a longtime Star Trek fan and Vulcan enthusiast.

Meanwhile, just down the street in the heart of Vulcan, you'll find that Star Trek is gradually integrating itself into Vulcan's cultural fabric. There's Starfleet Engineering, otherwise known as DND Computers; Starfleet Supply for sports and toys (actually a Home Hardware), while Vulcan Vacations has a starship incorporated into its logo.

And for that out of this world touch, try booking the Star Trek room at the Vulcan Hotel, a historical landmark in its own right. Originally located in the town of Frank, the hotel was torn down after the legendary Frank Slide (a major 1903 landslide in the Rocky Mountains)and moved in sections to Vulcan, where it was rebuilt. The hotel reopened in 1912 and is still operational today.

The rooms, though small and reminiscent of the turn of the last century, are more than comfortable. Hotel owner and operator Faye Scheideman has also brought in modern amenities, including satellite TV and microwaves, as she lovingly restores the 23-room hotel to its former glory.

If you can't get the Star Trek themed room (sadly, there is no Vulcan/Spock themed room, which we thought would be a logical choice to offer guests), there are rooms for all the provinces. Other theme choices include sports, Harley-Davidson, and two that are safari-oriented.

But before you move forward at warp factor eight and plan your Star Trek trip, watch out for this red alert: Vulcan is a very small town and unless you're looking for a getaway from it all--and it is nice to leave the hustle and bustle of the big city behind and enjoy a small town for what it is--you might want to schedule your voyage to coincide with Spock Days, a. k. a. Galaxyfest or VulCON.

Held annually in mid-June, Vul-CON, combines aspects of big-city Star Trek conventions and throws in a variety of small-town fair fun for good measure. Expect to find Star Trek celebrities, dealer tables, a parade, fireworks and much more.

This past June, for example, was quite lively when Vulcan survived a Klingon invasion--at least one Borg was also sighted, as were a number of green Orion slave girls--as the 16th edition of VulCON drew an estimated 10,000 people to the town for the two-day event.

KAG (Klingon Assault Group) Kanada celebrated their 20th anniversary at VulCON 16, with members in full costume, while the Klingon Ladies of Star Trek, Barbara March and Gwynyth Walsh(The Duras sisters; Lursa and B'Etor respectively) were just two of the celebrity guests on hand, and also took part in a question and answer session on Star Trek, followed by an autograph signing event.

Further, lest you think that this is all lost on the town folk of Vulcan itself, you'd be mostly wrong. While some have yet to buy in to the spaced out fun, more and more are getting involved.

As Vulcan's mayor, Tom Grant, says, when the town built the Vulcan Tourism&Trek Station 11 years ago, it was a tough go, but adds that it was a logical thing to do as tourism numbers continue to rise.

This year alone, those numbers are up 25 per cent above the 18,000 guests they had in 2008, says Grant, who notes that he and other municipal council members even dress up in their Starfleet uniforms at Alberta Union of Municipalities meetings --and Grant really isn't a Trekkie.

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ROMAN MYTHOLOGY

Despite the modern-day connection to Star Trek, vulcan's famous name came from a Canadian Pacific railroad surveyor who had a penchant for roman mythology. In 1910, the surveyor named the town vulcan after the Roman god of fire and forge because it was to rest on the highest elevation point. early vulcan street names such as Juno, Neptune, apollo, Minerva, Jupiter and Mars were also from Roman and Greek mythology.

If you go, vulcan is located about an hour south of Calgary or an hour north of Lethbridge on Alberta's Highway 23.

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From left, Dayna Dickens, Tourism co-ordinator for the Town of Vulcan and Vulcan County, and Erin Melcher, Information Services co-ordinator for Vulcan Tourism, pose outside the Vulcan Tourism & Trek Station and next to a memorial for Star Trek creator Gene Roddenberry.

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